# Rattray's Hal O' The Wind



## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

After the Peterson aro half bowl, (didn't like it enough to finish) I decided I needed a good virginia smoke. So i broke out my 5 year old HOTW. I picked this up from fleabay. What a find! $26 per tin!

You always hear of folks talking about this but until you smoke a bowl you really don't have a clue how good it is. When you open the tin (or jar in my case) the aromas are unbelievable! Figs and prunes dominate and just smell delicious. It's a hand-rubbed broken flake very similar to many of Rattray's other blends I have.

Loads up well and lights easily. Really you think this is a straight virginia. At least I did from TR. But if you go to the Kohlhase & Kopp site it says it has perique and kentucky as well! I'm not tasting the kentucky but I do get a little of the perique. Just enough to get a peppery spice in the background. The virginias are great. You taste the dried fruit with grassy and mown hay hints. Wonderful flavors.

You need to smoke it a bit slower to get all the flavors and keep the bite down. But what a wonderful slow smoke for the evening.

Disclaimer: Since this was 5 years and 4 months old your experience may vary. But I can't imagine by much!

edit: Also realize this is coming from someone who smokes predominantly english blends.


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

Nice review Dave.
am curious to know you still have taste buds after smoking english for soo long?, when I smoke a english blend, my taste buds tend to deaden for a day, and everything I eat/drink taste dull 
troy


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

laloin said:


> Nice review Dave.
> am curious to know you still have taste buds after smoking english for soo long?, when I smoke a english blend, my taste buds tend to deaden for a day, and everything I eat/drink taste dull
> troy


I'm weird. My taste buds are incredibly resilient. Most things that affect other people's taste buds don't have as long lasting effects on mine. The only thing that really affects mine is a cold. Then I'm out of it and might as well not smoke a pipe.

I've always been weird even when I wanted to be just like everyone else.


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## Natedogg (Jun 21, 2010)

> I've always been weird even when I wanted to be just like everyone else.


That's a good one for your signature, Dave.

And you're just a review writing machine lately! Your new name should be "Davebot."


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## Blue_2 (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks for the review! 

I have a newer tin of this and haven't broken into it. I have a preference for darker Virginias and VaPers these days and haven't been smoking English blends as much. 

I'm looking forward to opening this in a few months, sounds great!


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Nice review of a great blend. If you like this I bet you might like Robert McConnell's Scottish Cake.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

One of my favorites.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

Jack Straw said:


> Nice review of a great blend. If you like this I bet you might like Robert McConnell's Scottish Cake.


I think I have a sample or I bought a tin or something. It might be Scottish Mixture which I'm sure is different.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Let me know if you have tried it already - I actually bagged up the last of a tin to send you last night.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

Jack Straw said:


> Let me know if you have tried it already - I actually bagged up the last of a tin to send you last night.


LOL, cool. I'll check tonight when I get home and pm you. Thanks for thinking of me!


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## cakeanddottle (Mar 14, 2011)

Jack Straw said:


> Nice review of a great blend. If you like this I bet you might like Robert McConnell's Scottish Cake.


ditto. I prefer this to Escudo, and I love Escudo. Really need to order a tin of Marlin Flake next time I buy tobacco.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

cakeanddottle said:


> ditto. I prefer this to Escudo, and I love Escudo. Really need to order a tin of Marlin Flake next time I buy tobacco.


Marlin is on my "to do" list.


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## Diodon nepheligina (Nov 5, 2009)

owaindav said:


> Marlin is on my "to do" list.


Nice review, Dave. HOTW is certainly high on my list of favorite VAs. I've socked away lbs. of the stuff.

I've got some year old Marlin Flake open if you want to try it. Lemme know.


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## DahlKen (Jun 16, 2011)

Hate to bring up an old thread but just had to comment.

Got my first tin of this yesterday, and held off on busting into it until today. All I can say is the slope just got a LOT slicker. What a great blend, damn this growing TAD!!


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## Pugsley (Jul 12, 2009)

DahlKen said:


> Hate to bring up an old thread but just had to comment.
> 
> Got my first tin of this yesterday, and held off on busting into it until today. All I can say is the slope just got a LOT slicker. What a great blend, damn this growing TAD!!


My favorite tobacco, I smoke more of this than anything else. I strongly suggest putting some aside for a year or more, it ages beautifully.


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## Troutman22 (Feb 2, 2011)

MarkC sent me some of this for my MAW. I am going to try it thanks to this thread. I would have tried it anyway but now it has moved up the list to #1. LOL


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

A great blend, one of my favorites...


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Troutman22 said:


> MarkC sent me some of this for my MAW. I am going to try it thanks to this thread. I would have tried it anyway but now it has moved up the list to #1. LOL


Alas, it wasn't five years old like Daves, but it was closing in on two when I opened it.


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## tobacmon (May 17, 2007)

Thanks for the thread Dave---I tried HOTW and was not a fan--I wonder if I got a bad batch or something. It was one of the first tobacco's i tried and maybe that was the reason for my not liking it.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

That could very well be true. I disliked Montgomery when I first tried it, early in my piping, and now think it's great. On the other hand, maybe you just don't like it. Only one way to find out...


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## Troutman22 (Feb 2, 2011)

Smoked this all day yesterday. This stuff is fantastic!! I am ordering more for storage. Another fine weed I hope to never run out of in the future. :tongue1:


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## DahlKen (Jun 16, 2011)

I agree with ya Scotch. Since loading my first bowl of this I haven't smoked a single leaf of anything else it seems. Definitely my favorite baccy for now.


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## Troutman22 (Feb 2, 2011)

2 - 100g tins on the way, 5-7 days just cant come fast enough hahaha.

:evil:


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## tobacmon (May 17, 2007)

MarkC said:


> That could very well be true. *I disliked Montgomery* when I first tried it, early in my piping, and now think it's great. On the other hand, maybe you just don't like it. Only one way to find out...


I'm sorry to hear you dislike me so much---LOL:frusty:


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

I got over it...


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